Microsoft upgrades its data offering with three releases

Microsoft continues to invest heavily to control the data management market

Shares

Microsoft upgraded its data solutions offering with three services designed to ease data capture, storage and usage. The SQL Server 2014, Microsoft Azure Intelligent Systems Service and Analytics Platform Systems were unveiled by CEO Satya Nadella at a press event in San Francisco.

In a Microsoft statement describing the upgrades, the organization cited IDC data that contends organizations could realize roughly $1.6 trillion in additional revenue, lower costs and improve productivity by 2018 by "putting in place a holistic approach to data that spans datasets, analytics and more."

Microsoft's solution upgrades are just one aspect of the organization's continued investment in capturing the data market.

SQL Server 2014

SQL Server 2014 is a real-time platform that features in-memory technology, public cloud scale and disaster recovery. Microsoft's SQL Server division is a $5 billion business.

TechRadar's review of SQL Server 2014 offered the following praise for the solution: "SQL Server 2014 is a major upgrade that also has a host of invaluable smaller improvements, but you'll need to invest time in database design to get the most from it."

Azure Intelligent Systems Service

The Azure Intelligent Systems Service is designed to help customers securely connect to, manage and capture machine-generated data from sensors and devices. The service will offer organizations the opportunity to better manage an Internet-of-Things or Machine-to-Machine infrastructure with security measures and speed as top priorities.

Analytics Platform System

Microsoft also made generally available its Analytics Platform System, which combines Microsoft's SQL Server database and Hadoop technology that will enable organizations to capture and take action on big data.

"We want to take an architectural approach that brings together different products — from Excel on one end to SQL and Hadoop on the other end — to create this notion of ambient intelligence," Nadella said, at the event.